Adelaide to Esperance

October - November 2022
A 28-day adventure by Going Places Oz & Robert Read more
  • 23footprints
  • 1countries
  • 28days
  • 158photos
  • 14videos
  • 5.9kkilometers
  • Day 12

    Legs get a workout

    November 9, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    So Rob's idea of fun this morning is to wash the car and van. Hmm... Not mine. I decided to get him to drop me off at Castletown Cove for a run along the beach instead. Such a lovely running track.
    Weather much nicer today with no wind and the sun trying to pop out at times so we headed to Fourth Beach for a 2 hour beach walk this afternoon. Just lovely to walk along a deserted beach for kilometres enjoying the sun when it popped out and the sound of the waves.
    Stopped at Rotary Lookout on the way back for a different perspective on the ocean drive road.
    Home to listen to Rob play some tunes on his guitar before dinner.
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  • Day 13

    Cape Le Grand National Park

    November 10, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Spent the day out at Cape Le Grand National Park today. What a fantastic day, sun, rain, thunder and lightning!
    First beach we visited was Lucky Bay. Walked the whole bay, round trip about 7km. Just beautiful and the sun was shining, well at least to start! Both ends of the bay so lovely, on our way back the dark clouds chased and caught up with us, we had to make a run along the beach to get back!
    That shower didn't last long and we didn't get very wet so set up our cooker and had a bbq at one of the picnic tables.
    Then off to Thistle Cove where the whistling rock is. The wind makes a weird whistling noise through/ around the rock.
    We then stood on the rocks of Thistle Cove and watched a lightning show over the bay, great until a crack of thunder boomed right overhead and the rain came again. Another mad dash back to the car!
    The showers were short lived and no wind around so we continued to enjoy the day, next beach was Cape Le Grand Beach. This one was a special beach for Rob- first time he drove his Pajero on the beach. Lots of fun. He then braved the waters for a swim, me? I looked after the car keys!
    Lastly we went to Hellfire Bay where we walked the bay while watching more black clouds roll closer, deciding to jog back along the beach to beat the weather, good decision, just back in the car heading back to Esperance and down it poured. 5 minutes later sun out and rain all over. Great day!
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  • Day 15

    Back into South Australia

    November 12, 2022 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    Decided yesterday to head back across the Nullabor to the Eyre Peninsula and spend some time exploring there as the weather was coming in quite bad in Esperance.
    Left Esperance at 8am and arrived at Madura Oasis Caravan Park about 5pm ( same place we'd stopped on the way over). Big day of driving. No real sight seeing. Set our watches onto South Australian time so we hit the road really early WA time but 8am SA time. Headed east back across the border, we stopped at Eucla and made our lunch with our salad so as not to get stopped at the border, but when we arrived the sign says no stopping required, just drive straight into SA.
    Stopped at Great Australian Bight Marine Park to check out the Bunda Cliffs, wow!!.
    Didn't have a solid plan in place for tonight but decided to stop at Nundroo roadhouse caravan Park as the winds had picked up alot and it was 4:30pm.
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  • Day 17

    Streaky Bay

    November 14, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Left Nandroo yesterday morning and headed for Streaky Bay. Got stopped at Ceduna at the quarantine checkpoint, all good as hardly had any food left. Went to the Ceduna Foodland for a good shop before heading onto Streaky Bay.
    Weather was so windy so just checked into the Islands Caravan Park, where we got a waterfront site and set up.
    Quiet afternoon due to the wind and rain. Quick town drive and then back for an early night. Not alot of sleep due to the winds.
    Monday the winds dropped off a bit so we did some washing and car maintenance.
    Then headed to Point Le Batt Conservation Park to see the sea lions. One one side the drive in has a beautiful bay so calm and serene, on the other side was the open ocean and it was the opposite, cold and rough!
    The sea lions didn't seem to mind as they were down the bottom of the cliffs and out of the wind. Amazing to see these creatures in their place doing their own thing.
    Drove back to Streaky Bay and walked the Jetty.
    Hoped for a coffee and cake but at 4pm, none of the 4 cafes/bakeries were open!
    Back to the park for a walk along the beach and bbq at the van.
    The wind had stopped by early evening so after dinner we decided to go for another walk along the jetty, where we spotted a little ray going for a swim, lovely evening.
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  • Day 18

    Smoky Bay & Perlubie Beach

    November 15, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Checked out Smoky Bay this morning and walked the jetty. Lovely and well kept little seaside town. Jetty restored by the community a few years ago.

    And then onto the "so much talked about" Perlubie Beach for lunch.
    Can now understand why Perlubie Beach gets so much publicity, it's beautiful.
    About 10 caravans were set up camping on the beach today, apparently over last summer there were up to 160 campers setup on the beach!
    We had another bbq on the beach for lunch while enjoying some lovely sunny weather. Rob's second time bringing his car onto a beach!
    Walked the length of the beach about 5.5 km return.
    Went to the local hotel for lovely fish for dinner. Beautiful evening so we walked down to the caravan park beach hoping to see a lovely sunset but the clouds spoilt it a bit.
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  • Day 19

    Baird Bay

    November 16, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    A lovely day today at Baird Bay. Went to see where we needed to go for tomorrow's swim with the "Sea Lions tour ". Lovely little beach area, a few snacks/houses but no more.
    Set up for lunch on the beach at the boat ramp area but the Pelican's thought we were cleaning fish and were going to feed them, they came up really close! Weren't sure if they'd become aggressive as we didn't have anything for them so moved further down the beach where they weren't interested in us.
    Our lunch room sure beats the usual and we had another beautiful bbq on the beach before again walking the length of the beach.
    Drove back passed Cape Le Batt Conservation Park so stopped to see the Sea Lions again.
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  • Day 20

    Swim with the Sea Lions/ Dolphins tour

    November 17, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    What an amazing tour. Swim with the Sea Lions and dolphins at Baird Bay. We had wanted to do this for a very long time and was not disappointed. This tour delivered everything it promised and more.
    Leaving the shore at 9:30 and heading out to Jones island about a 15 minute boat ride, we arrived at the area where we were to swim in the sea pool with the seals. Before we could even get into the water the seals come out from the island (approx 50-70m) to play. At times the 10 of us had about 10+ seals to play with. The more we played the more they played. Several even giving me kisses on my mask!
    They were just like puppies, playing around with us, so much fun.
    Eventually we headed back onto the boat to go across the other side of the bay where the dolphins hang out. As soon as we got there the word was out, dolphins, quick in the water. So in we went where a pod of approx 15 dolphins swam around and under us for about 15 minutes, they loved swimming very close and giving eye contact!
    The weather was warm and waters so clear making it a terrific day for the trip.
    Lunch on the beach again and another big beach walk where there were some beautiful shells made the day just wonderful.
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  • Day 21

    Staying on at Streaky Bay

    November 18, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    What a mixed bag of weather today.
    We awoke to fierce winds and rain again this morning, so decided to stay here at Streaky Bay for another couple of days instead of heading on to Venus Bay.
    By mid morning the weather had cleared and winds dropped off.
    Went into streaky for a coffee at the bakery before heading back to Perlubie Beach for the afternoon.
    And what an afternoon it was, perfect weather, 30 degrees, full sun and no wind. Another walk along the beautiful beach and a play with the drone again.
    Home to discover storms brewing over night and into Saturday so ensured all was safe and waited to see how bad the weather got this time!
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  • Day 22

    What a windy day!

    November 19, 2022 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    A beautiful morning, calm and sunny before the change blew in.
    Decided to get in an early morning run along the coastal walkway.
    By late morning the winds had started and by lunch/ early afternoon they were 35-40km an hour. A few showers but not the large hail as predicted (thank goodness). Winds did get up to 55km mid afternoon. Spent the afternoon editing videos and reading.
    Looks like we are in for a rough night with winds staying around 30-40km an hour and another windy day tomorrow.
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  • Day 24

    Whyalla

    November 21, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Yesterday was another windy day.
    I got in an early run and then we went and had brunch at Funk'd coffee in Streaky Bay (recommended by Nigel- and very nice too) and then bunkered down for the afternoon.
    Got up this morning and the winds had eased off enough to get on the road and head to Whyalla.
    Got caught behind an extremely wide load that was travelling with mining equipment on the back of 2 trucks and going between 35-85 km an hour for about 40km into Kimba.
    Had to stop for fuel and decided as we would be behind the convoy again we'd have a coffee and bite to eat and let them get well down the road.
    But, just our luck we caught up with them about 10km out of Kimba as they'd blown a tyre!Lucky they let us pass!
    Onto Whyalla where we set up on the foreshore of the G'day Discovery Park.
    Then we went to see the Elvis Presley museum in Whyalla.
    Well what an extraordinary place, this is at a half housing trust house and is packed with Elvis stuff.
    Lounge room, 3 bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, laundry, garden and shed. I don't know how he lives there with it all everywhere.
    Great guy (Pete) who was very happy to show us through his personal house and talk about each item and his trip to Graceland.
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